meet the team
about us
Zoe Naylor
Since 2014 Zoe has managed and delivered our BFI Film Academies and BFI Film Clubs in Bradford, Scarborough and Chester where the team developed the first Academy to focus on VR and 360° filmmaking.
A partner in Reel Solutions since 2011, Zoe has worked in film for nearly 30 years both in cinemas and for organisations including the Independent Cinema Office and the British Film Institute where she was a programme and development advisor to regional independent cinemas. She also curated and distributed touring film programmes around the UK. She took the big screen to rural locations throughout North Yorkshire with the project Screenwaves which included the UK’s first hydro-powered film screenings on a remote island in the middle of the River Derwent in North Yorkshire.
Bill Lawrence
Bill set up Reel Solutions in 2006 to pursue his passion for supporting all forms of cinema. He was Creative Director at Showroom Cinema, Sheffield, one of the UK’s leading independent cinemas, and Head of Film at the National Museum of Photography, Film & Television (later the National Media Museum), Bradford. He set up three of the city’s film festivals – Bradford International Film Festival, Bite the Mango Film Festival and Bradford Animation Festival.
In 2006 Bill was one of the key people to set up the partnership board of Bradford: City of Film and was involved closely in achieving the UNESCO designation in 2009. Bill is chair of All Animated Limited and was previously a director on the Board of Creative England and Screen Yorkshire.
Luke Shoesmith
Luke is one of our freelance Lead Filmmaking Tutors on the BFI Film Academies and Clubs.
A filmmaker and media producer working with individuals, corporate clients in the arts and charitable organisations to produce a range of digital content as Director of Central Eyes and Interspace Media, Luke is passionate about supporting the next generation of filmmakers.
As well as his work on the Academies and Clubs for Reel Solutions, Luke also supports the Yorkshire based Burberry Inspire Project which provides access to the the creative arts, including film, for young people in West Yorkshire.
Team Screen Argyll
We are thrilled to be working with Screen Argyll, the dream team of animation, who will be delivering our online animation-focused day for the BFI Film Club Scarborough.
Jim Parkyn is a Senior Model Maker in the Art Department at Aardman. He is an Ambassador for Aardman’s outreach programmes and runs model making workshops across the UK.
Jack Lockhart is a visual artist, animator and film maker. He is the Lead Filmmaking Tutor on the BFI Film Academy Argyll and is a facilitator on filmmaking projects, events and educational workshops for schools and community groups.
Storyhouse
Storyhouse is one of the UK’s foremost cultural charities, its home in Chester incorporates a library, theatres and a cinema and the BFI Film Academy Chester is based here.
It is one of the country’s most successful arts buildings, with more than one million customer visits each year. The pioneering new library within Storyhouse, where members of the community work alongside city librarians, boasts the longest opening hours of any UK public library and is open every day until 11pm. It runs over 2,000 sessions a year for marginalised communities.
We work in partnership with the Young Storyhouse and Cinema teams on delivery of the Academy.
Storyhouse had held the official title of the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre and was the overall national winner in the 2018 Guardian Public Service Awards.
reel solutions
Reel Solutions is a cultural agency based in Yorkshire predominantly working in film. We provide guidance and support to a range of local, national and international creative businesses and organisations. A delivery partner since the very beginning of the BFI's Film Academy scheme, Reel Solutions enjoys helping support the next generation of filmmaking talent. We run Academies in Bradford and Chester and new BFI Film Clubs in Bradford and Scarborough.
We support film and arts festivals, commercial and independent cinema venues with a range of services including programming advice, a film booking service, resource packs for teachers and cinemas and CPD training. Other services include evaluation, bid writing, project management services and support with strategic planning. Our clients have included British Film Institute, Into Film, Independent Cinema Office, The Junction in Goole, Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough and Cambridge Film Festival.
We have developed and, in some cases, continue to run our own projects including those with partners such as the Manchester Animation Festival, the UK’s largest animation festival; Screenwaves, a rural cinema pilot on the Yorkshire coast which took the big screen to small community venues; and Day Schools, a specialised cultural cinema education programme running in venues and online for those who enjoy watching and talking about film.
british film institute
The BFI is the UK’s lead organisation for film, television and the moving image. It delivers a wide range of film education programmes including the BFI Film Academies. It is a distributor of National Lottery funding and a cultural and education charity that:
Curates and presents the greatest international public programme of world cinema for audiences; in cinemas, at festivals and online
Cares for the BFI National Archive – the most significant film and television archive in the world
Actively seeks out and supports the next generation of filmmakers
Works with Government and industry to make the UK the most creatively exciting and prosperous place to make film internationally
Founded in 1933, the BFI is a registered charity governed by Royal Charter.